Review Summary: Saint Vitus at odds with itself
With Saint Vitus seeming to reach a certain culmination with V, it certainly makes sense for C.O.D. to feel like an attempt at a new era. This is most obvious with the recruitment of Count Raven vocalist Christian Linderson but there’s a certain expansionist attitude also indicated by the bigger production and much longer runtime than before. In an odd way, one gets the sense that the band was starting to understand their status as elder statesmen of doom metal.
While the production (courtesy of Don Dokken of all people) does remove some of the band’s grimy edge, making for a noticeably lighter sound, the musicianship indicates that they never lost their identity. The band’s penchant for sluggish tempos is well-maintained with plenty of warped soloing on top and Linderson feels like a great reconciliation of Reagers’ demented ravings and Wino’s biker sneer. The rhythm section has a more mixed presence as the drums still maintain heavy booms with a more controlled tightness while the bass is rather faint in comparison.
The songwriting also ends up rather mixed, especially when you consider the hour-plus runtime almost makes it as long as any two previous albums combined. Sometimes it’s tricky to tell whether it’s due to the writing or production, but the tone tends to feel off. On top of the riffs being simultaneously unmemorable and too repetitive, darker songs like “Shadow of a Skeleton” don’t seem to get the atmosphere they want while songs like “Imagination Man” and “Get Away” feel too stiff for their wistful psych vibes.
Fortunately, there are still a couple bright songs to be found. “Children of Doom” makes for a rather fascinating case study as the come-together lyrical theme is a stark contrast from the lone-wolf laments of a “Born too Late,” but it has a good riff set that makes it feel almost like a happy sequel. “Fear” also comes out well as a punchy anthem that makes due on the promise of “Planet of Judgement.”
I wouldn’t call C.O.D. an outright disaster, but there’s a sense that Saint Vitus might’ve been trying too hard with it. It feels somewhat at odds with itself as the unfocused structuring and uneven presentation suggest that its almost celebratory demeanor doesn’t have the confidence to really see it through. Linderson may have been able to use this as a springboard for some excellent bands later on, but there is a sense that Saint Vitus was getting outclassed at their own game.
